Why Do I Feel Pain after Working Out?

For many people, starting a workout program is something challenging, especially because it requires time, a new routine, setting goals, and additionally they have to deal with muscle soreness. Sore muscles after physical activity, known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), can occur when you start a new exercise programme, change your exercise routine, or increase the duration or intensity of your regular workout.

Who can DOMS affect?

Anyone can develop DOMS, even those who have been exercising for years, including elite athletes. Delayed onset muscle soreness is actually a common outcome of any physical activity that has the ability to stress the muscle tissue beyond what it is usually accustomed to. More specifically, DOMS occurs when the muscle is performing a lengthening contraction.

It can be alarming for people who are new to exercise, and may affect their initial enthusiasm to get fit.

The good news is the soreness will decrease as your muscles get used to the new physical demands being placed upon them.

The soreness is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build.

What type of activities can cause DOMS?

The experts say that it is normal to experience muscle soreness after engaging in a physical activity, especially when it is something new to your body. This happens because the muscles go through some sort of physical stress. Therefore, mild soreness is actually a natural outcome of the physical activity, being more predominant at the beginning of the new program. As you can see, muscle pain is something that affect anyone, no matter the fitness level. Luckily, it doesn’t last long, and besides this it is a sign that you are improving your condition.

There are some people who believe that muscle soreness is caused by lactic acid that is built up, but actually this has nothing to do with this process. There is also a belief that only the beginners can experience muscle pain, and this is actually wrong, because even those who have been exercising for years can accuse muscle soreness. Because of this pain there are a few people who are worried, mostly those who are new to exercise, and therefore they can be less enthusiastic about the new routine. If you are among these people you don’t have to be alarmed because the pain will decrease as soon as your muscles are used to the physical demands. Thus, the soreness is actually an essential part of the adaptation process that leads to more strength. In order to develop DOMS you will need to push harder than usual in order to overcome your limits.

How long does DOMS last for?

There isn’t any particular set of exercises that may cause muscle soreness, and therefore any kind of movement you are not accustomed to can actually make you feel muscle pain. There are many examples of exercises, such as walking,  jogging, going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights, squats, and push-ups. However, DOMS doesn’t last for a long time, and therefore the typical period is somewhere between three and five days, and the severe pain actually occurs one or two days after the exercise. There is no 100% effective treatment for DOMS, at least not something proved.

Treating DOMS

• A warm bath or heat wrap 
• Rest – Your body may need extra time to repair and recover, so rest a day before you work out.
• Get a massage

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